Sentimental
by theticktalks
Summary: Akutsu X Kawamura oneshot. Akutsu's POV, high school AU. Akutsu's life is finally starting to look better, but it's still nice to have someone else there for you. Especially when you're feeling sentimental.


Wow. I haven't uploaded anything in so long, it's crazy. I'm wicked sorry. Especially to anyone who was hoping this was an update to Acceptance. Anyways, here's a little fluff for my babies.

It had been another long day, Akutsu reflected as he took another swing, feeling his muscles straining in that old, familiar way.

Akutsu Jin had quit tennis when he was a third year in junior high. So what was he doing? He was now a third year in high school. He should be thinking about college and the future! He should at the very least be thinking about that paper in history that was due next Tuesday.

But he wasn't doing any of that. Instead he was standing on the old court by the river, hitting the ball off the fence with his old racket. Hadn't he gotten rid of that thing? He should have. He had promised to never play this game again. So what was he doing?

He was feeling sentimental. That's what was going on.

Recently, Akutsu had been reflecting on his life and how _fucked up_ it was. When he was younger he had gotten himself into some deep shit. And no one was there to help him. Not his mom…. Not his friends….

Like he even had any friends.

Well, that wasn't true. He always had Dan. But the freshman looked up to his senior too much for Akutsu to try and ask him for help.

And, of course, though sometimes he hated to admit it, he still always thought of Kawamura Takashi as a friend. He hadn't talked to the sushi boy in a while, what with both of them quitting tennis and going to different high schools and all. But whenever Akutsu thought about his past, when he was at his worst, the first thing he remembered was always Kawamura being right there when he needed him most.

And now, with his life finally looking up for once, Akutsu was feeling sentimental about his childhood friend. And playing tennis always made Akutsu feel much closer to Kawamura. Even if the other boy had stopped playing the sport in order to take on his family business, Akutsu couldn't help but feel a connection to him whenever he swung his racket.

How long had it been since Akutsu had talked to Kawamura, anyways? It suddenly hit him that it had been at least a year. He should pay the guy a visit, he thought as he picked up the beat tennis ball and slipped it into his pocket.

Wait. What?

Why should he go see that sushi guy? It's not like Kawamura saw Akutsu as a friend! How could he? After all that he'd put the good-natured boy through…there was no way. But while he was remembering the old days the urge to go was impossible to ignore.

Before he had even decided what he was going to do, Akutsu realized that his feet were already leading the way to Kawamura Sushi.

He just sighed and figured that he might as well see the guy. He _was_ feeling sentimental, after all.

As he approached the restaurant, he could hear some loud, joyous, voices coming from the joint. He quirked a brow as he entered.

Sitting around the restaurant were all of the regulars of Seigaku. By the looks of their outfits, they all went to the same high school together and were the regulars of that tennis team as well.

Talk about sentimental.

Kawamura-san saw the new customer and greeted him, "Welcome! Please take a seat an- Akutsu-kun? Wow, it's been a while!" He turned around and shouted, "TAKASHI! COME 'ERE!"

Kawamura's head suddenly poked up from the group of tennis boys. He began to walk over to his dad when he realized who it was that had just come into the restaurant. He froze for a minute. "Akutsu," he finally whispered. Even though he had said the word barely audibly, all of the Seigaku players quieted and looked over at the gray haired boy.

"Whoa, it's Akutsu!" Kikumaru said, and the others followed, voicing their hellos.

"Come and sit with us!" Kawamura said as he walked over to Akutsu, grabbing his arm and dragging him to the tables the others occupied.

Even though Kawamura was meek when he didn't have a racket in his hand, he had always seemed rather comfortable around Akutsu. The man in question was never sure why, but he knew that the Kawamura he knew was very different from the one that most others saw.

Akutsu just nodded and sat down in the seat that Kawamura practically dropped him in. He was suddenly aware of everyone looking at him amidst a mix of whispers. Echizen was the first to speak to him.

"I thought you didn't play tennis anymore," said the freshman.

Akutsu was about to reply that he didn't when he remembered that he still had his racket with him. "Oh," he began. "I just felt like stretching my arm a bit, that's all." There was no way he was going to say he had his racket because it made him think of the brunette who was now sitting directly to his left.

Echizen raised an eyebrow at that, but then shrugged it off. The others went back to the conversations that they'd been having when Akutsu had entered. Everyone, that is, except for Kawamura.

"I'm surprised to see you here. It's been quite some time, huh?" Kawamura said, shrugging slightly.

Akutsu returned the shrug, trying to play it off as nothing. "Eh, I was just in the neighborhood and thought I could use something to eat."

Kawamura nodded, offering that goofy smile of his. "Well the others here just won a big tournament, so I promised them all the sushi they wanted. So what's one more person?"

Akutsu gulped. Dammit. Why did Kawamura always have to be so nice and cute like that? It made it really hard for Akutsu to keep himself in check sometimes. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Kawamura quickly got a plate of food that he set in front of Akutsu. "So, what have you been up to?" he asked cheerfully.

Akutsu stayed quiet a moment. It really had been a long time since he'd talked to Kawamura. What did he say? "Well, I cleaned up my act. I quit all drugs and I've put my focus on school."

Kawamura smiled encouragingly. "That's great!"

Akutsu was aware of the others getting quieter. Apparently they all wanted to hear his story, too.

Akutsu took a breath before saying, "Well, sometimes you just need to get a real good shock to turn your life around."

Kawamura tilted his head and looked at him quizzically. They others watched in silence.

Akutsu didn't need the question to be asked. He already knew what they were all thinking: what happened? He directed his steady gaze at Kawamura. "My mom died."

Everything seemed to freeze for a minute as this sank in.

But Akutsu didn't want to hear anyone say how sorry they were or any of that crap. So he didn't give them a chance before he continued, "Drug overdose. I came home after hanging out all night to find her in the apartment; she was just lying there. I called for help immediately, but the doctors said that she had already been dead for a couple hours by the time I found her. I was too late," Akutsu said shortly. He was tired of telling people this story. He knew it was his fault, and so he owned up to it. He didn't want any pity, so he didn't sugarcoat anything.

Kawamura was looking at Akutsu with tears in his eyes. He returned the gaze unblinkingly, but he felt a stir of guilt. Kawamura had known Akutsu's mother for years, so this was obviously a shock to him.

The room stayed quiet for a moment before Oishi said, "Why don't we give you two some privacy?" He began to stand, but Kawamura stopped him.

"No, you guys stay here and enjoy your food. I just…. I need to get some air," Kawamura said.

"Taka-san," Oishi said as he watched the boy stand and leave in a rush.

Akutsu only gave it a moment's thought before he followed Kawamura out the door of the restaurant.

"It was nearly a year ago," Akutsu said as he caught up, in an attempt to reason with Kawamura.

"You could have told me sooner," Kawamura said quietly.

"I know."

"You _should_ have told me sooner," Kawamura said, with a bit more force. The tears were falling from his eyes, which made Akutsu's stomach squirm with guilt again for not telling him beforehand.

"I know. I know you two had always liked each other. I just was in a bad place when it happened and everything was falling apart around me…" Akutsu tried to explain.

Kawamura looked Akutsu right in the eye. Quietly he said, "That's why you should have told me. I would have been there for you. You know that, right? If you _ever_ need me, I'm there."

Akutsu nodded. Those damn feelings he'd been having were rising up in him again. Whenever he thinks he has everything under control, Kawamura has to go and say something like _that_ and make him feel this way. He could already feel the pinpricks of tears forming at the corners of his eyes. _Dammit_!

Kawamura silently wrapped his arms around Akutsu and let the self-proclaimed "tough-guy" cry against his shoulder. Kawamura had only seen Akutsu cry one time before. It was back when they were kids and he had run into a wall, successfully breaking his nose. This time was different, though.

"I should have _been there_!" Akutsu yelled through his sobs. He didn't care if the others inside could hear him. "If I had just gone straight home that day…"

"Shhh. It's not your fault," Kawamura whispered into Akutsu's thick gray hair. He rubbed small circles into his back.

They stood like that for a long time. When Akutsu's tears had finally run out, he pulled himself away from Kawamura's chest, still staying close, though. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I know you are."

"But I was afraid of what you'd think if you saw me like that… well, like _this_," Akutsu sniffled, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Kawamura smiled as he pulled the taller boy into another hug. "You know that I don't care what you look like."

"Kawamura…."

"You can call me Takashi, if you want," Kawamura smiled.

Akutsu nodded. "Takashi… I'm still afraid. I'm so alone. I don't have anyone…"

"You'll _always_ have me," Kawamura said.

"How can you say that? After-"

"I don't care that you messed up before. So does everyone."

Akutsu looked at Kawamura. He had his eyes closed and a soft smile graced his face. This was the man who had always reached out to Akutsu when he thought all was lost. This was the man who Akutsu could honestly say was his best friend. This was the man that Akutsu had been in love with for years.

Akutsu swallowed. "Thanks… Takashi, there's something important I have to do now, and I'm scared I might mess it up too. You promise you won't get mad if I do mess up?"

"Of course not, Jin," Kawamura said, adding his name to show how close he thought that the two were. It encouraged Akutsu.

"You see, there's this one person that I can't live without. He says he'll never leave me, and I believe him. But… I don't think he knows how much he really means to me."

Kawamura opened his eyes to look right into Akutsu's own. "Jin…"

"Takashi. I love you," Akutsu said quietly, but with conviction. Without another word he leaned in to close the space that was left between them. His slightly chapped lips brushed against Kawamura's surprisingly soft ones. The contact only lasted for a second, but even that long left Akutsu breathless. The amount of times he had pictured this moment…. Nothing could compare to the actual thing.

Kawamura had closed his eyes again, and Akutsu's were now only half-lidded. For a moment they just stood there, their lips only an inch apart, each breathing in the scent of the other.

The moment was short lived though, because suddenly Kawamura took charge and brought their lips together again. This time Akutsu let his arms wrap firmly around Kawamura's waist, while Kawamura put his arms around Akutsu's neck. The brunette let one hand slide into Akutsu's hair, tightly grabbing a portion of the silky gray tufts. Akutsu was surprised by Kawamura's dominance, but pleasantly so. When Akutsu suddenly felt a warm tongue prod the corner of his lips, he willingly complied, letting the foreign member in. Akutsu shuddered at the taste of Kawamura's tongue against his. The two eagerly explored the other's mouth for as long as they could before they needed to break for air.

Gasping as they separated, Kawamura said, "Jin, I love you too. I always have. And no matter what you do or say, I always will. You're allowed to make mistakes. I'll always forgive you."

For the second time that night, Akutsu felt tears in his eyes. But these ones were very different from the first ones. He clung onto Kawamura, and he didn't let go. And maybe he was just being sentimental again, but he didn't think that he'd ever let go.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are much appreciated! Thanks.


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